A strong collection of well constructed and complex indie pop. Despite having access to seemingly a full orchestra, there is a pleasing sparse quality to the songs which allows the largely excellent lead melodies to shine. I was a little conflicted with the instrumentation at times – On Caeser on a TV Screen I wished they had bumped up the strings and really leaned into the melodrama. At other times the arrangements felt a little bit too ‘what music theatre thinks rock sounds like’ – most apparently on Sinner and the outtro guitar of Portrait of a Dead Girl. This is not to say it is in any way bad, just not exactly to my tastes.
Lyrically there is a strong romantic and emotional quality throughout. I can imagine many of the moments being great to sing along to in a live setting. Overall I enjoyed this album and can certainly forgive the short indulgences in exchange for a record with such ambition and confidence.
My recommended tracks : Burn Alive, My Feminine Urge, Portrait of a Dead Girl